Livia Giuggioli, an eco-fashion activist and the former wife of actor Colin Firth, has publicly relinquished her MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in protest of the UK government’s reception of President Trump during his recent state visit.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Giuggioli announced she was returning the prestigious medal, awarded in 2019 for her contributions to sustainable fashion. The post included an image of her shredded award certificate, with Giuggioli explaining she could not “reconcile the way he was appeased and honoured” after witnessing Trump’s “poisonous rhetoric.”
The Italian activist directed specific criticism toward King Charles, whose decades of environmental work she had previously admired. However, she described the monarch’s hosting of the president as a “frightening and cowardly display of appeasing someone who stands for the obliteration of the natural world and the most vulnerable people on earth.”
Giuggioli had initially accepted the award on behalf of “garment worker activists,” despite her personal opposition to the “British Empire and remnants of that toxic system.” In her post, she stated, “Because I can’t reconcile those two positions, I have shredded my honour and I am returning it to sender.”
President Trump’s two-day state visit included a ceremonial procession and a state banquet at Windsor Castle hosted by the monarch. The MBE, established in 1917 by King George V, is one of the UK’s most distinguished honours, recognizing exceptional service or achievement.
Giuggioli was married to Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth from 1997 to 2019, and the couple has two sons.
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